ABI Research, the leader in transformative technology innovation market intelligence, forecasts that the global advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) market will be worth $132 billion by 2026. With ABI Research analysts valuing the market to be worth $11 billion by this year’s end, the growth will mark an impressive CAGR of nearly 29%.

“Vulnerable user detection system shipments, including pedestrian, animal, and cyclist detection, will exhibit strong growth over the next decade, with a 49% CAGR,” says James Hodgson, Research Analyst at ABI Research. “The growth will primarily be driven by OEMs seeking to develop more robust autonomous emergency braking systems that will be effective in a greater number of driving scenarios.”

To date, vulnerable user detection (VUD) has been a hallmark of the more sophisticated autonomous emergency braking (AEB) systems offered on premium vehicles—often conflated with night vision systems. However, much of the future growth will be accounted for by mass market OEMs employing camera-radar sensor fusion to expand the types of obstacles their AEB systems can detect, often employing windshield-mounted smart sensor modules to lower cost. Current examples include the proliferation of the Honda Sensing and Toyota Safety Sense packages on high volume models.

The overall market, however, shows limited opportunity for night vision systems. ABI Research anticipates shipment growth within this category to slow toward the end of the forecast period, with the market value peaking in 2025 at just over $10 billion.

“The system costs are still too high for mass market vehicles, with infrared sensors priced significantly higher than radar and camera sensors,” concludes Hodgson. “Within the next decade, the focus will migrate away from augmenting driver perception, and toward sensors that can enable autonomous control for both navigation and emergency collision avoidance. Therefore, there will be a limited need for car OEMs to provide a system that allows the human driver or car occupant to see in the dark.”

For more than 25 years, ABI Research has stood at the forefront of technology market intelligence, partnering with innovative business leaders to implement informed, transformative technology decisions. The company employs a global team of senior analysts to provide comprehensive research and consulting services through deep quantitative forecasts, qualitative analyses and teardown services. An industry pioneer, ABI Research is proactive in its approach, frequently uncovering ground-breaking business cycles ahead of the curve and publishing research 18 to 36 months in advance of other organizations. In all, the company covers more than 60 services, spanning 11 technology sectors. For more information, visit www.abiresearch.com.